-There are only believed to be around 1,000 Wagir sheep in existence-'Swordman sheep' has huge, fan-like ears and a pure white fleece

By Emma Reynolds

A Chinese animal breeder has turned down £1.1million for his highly rare Wagir sheep, one of the most expensive in the world.

Breeder Paerhati refused the 12million Yuan from a dealer in Xinjiang for the 'Swordsman sheep' because it is almost ready for mating.

The pricey animal, which Paerhati bought in Afghanistan last March, has huge fan-like ears and a pure white fleece.

Refusing to be fleeced: Breeder Paerhati turned down 12million Yuan from a dealer in Xinjiang for his 'Swordsman sheep' because it is almost ready for matingPrecious pet: Owner Paerhati may be able to make huge sums from the 'Swordsman sheep' by up to 300,000 yuan (£30,000) per dose of semenThere are only believed to be around 1,000 pure-blooded Wagir sheep worldwide.

Many families in China now club together buy a sheep as investment and then charge for its breeding rights – going up to 300,000 yuan (£30,000) per dose of semen.

Sheep with special features have also become the latest collector’s item for China’s rich businessmen.

Most of them are Uighur Muslims who have made fortunes in the sheep business and are now interested in having a valuable pet.

Rates for these purely ornamental sheep depend on various features such as darker fleece, bigger ears and curvier face.

The biggest previous offer for a sheep was 14m Yuan (£1.4m) and made in Kashgar, north-west China.

The deal was suggested for a Dolan sheep, of which there are also only around 1,000 left.

The six-year-old sheep was owned by Majid Abdul Reyim from Kashgar, who also turned down the enormous offer in the hope of making even more money.

Dolan have a distinctive curved nose, long floppy ears and twin tails.

They were originally bred from sheep in Kashgar, to grow more quickly and yield more meat, but the breed has since become purely ornamental.

The Dolan reaches maturity and weighs over 200lbs at just six months.The price has sky-rocketed in recent years, with one dealer saying that two he bought for 25,000 yuan in 2009 were already worth 250,000 a year later.

Rare prize: There are only believed to be around 1,000 pure blooded Wagir sheep worldwide